1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable terminal supporting a Bluetooth function. More particularly, the present invention relates to a portable terminal apparatus and method for simplifying a process of registering and pairing with a Bluetooth device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the use of portable terminals has sharply increased due to their convenience including their portability and supplementary functions. With the increased use of portable terminals, service providers (e.g., terminal manufacturers) are developing more supplementary functions for portable terminals so as to provide even more convenience for users.
Bluetooth, one of the supplementary functions provided for portable terminals, is a technology that allows for communication between terminals that are positioned a short distance from each other. Using Bluetooth, portable terminals are able to provide a diversity of user services such as listening to music through a headset, controlling the printing of a document, controlling the transmission of a file and the like.
Bluetooth is a technology standard, defined by a nonprofit organization named “BLUETOOTH SIG,” that provides an inexpensive data and voice local area wireless connection using a frequency band of 2.4 GHz. Bluetooth is based on the Institute of International Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, which is hereby incorporated by reference. An advantage of Bluetooth is that it is applicable even to places where information processing and communication equipment is dense. Bluetooth achieves this advantage by allowing several independent piconets to overlap with each other in the same space. In addition, Bluetooth has transmission error correction, identification, and password and power saving functions.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a conventional process of connecting with neighboring Bluetooth devices by a portable terminal 100 having a Bluetooth module.
As shown in FIG. 1, the process includes searching for neighboring Bluetooth devices that are connectable with the portable terminal 100 using a Bluetooth connection. As a result of the search, the portable terminal 100 locates Bluetooth devices 122, 124, and 126 which may be used to provide respective services for the portable terminal 100. After the various devices are located, the process includes creating a list of the located Bluetooth devices 122, 124, and 126.
Though not illustrated, the list of located Bluetooth devices 122, 124 and 126 may be displayed on a screen of the portable terminal for user convenience. From the displayed list, the user of the portable terminal may select a target Bluetooth device from the created list and then establish a communication connection through an input of preset authentication information. An example of performing these steps is illustrated on screen 102 of FIG. 1 wherein the user of the portable terminal selects the first listed device as the target Bluetooth device from the list of found equipments and establishes a communication connection by inputting a password.
As described above, the user of the portable terminal selects the target Bluetooth device from among the list of the neighboring Bluetooth devices 122, 124, and 126. After selection by the user, the portable terminal provides the user with a service associated with the selected Bluetooth device by performing a communication connection with the Bluetooth device.
However, there is a drawback in that, when searching for connectable neighboring Bluetooth devices, the portable terminal must go through a procedure of Bluetooth setting, finding, equipment registration, password identification, and equipment connection on a User Interface (UI) by pressing a control button for a predetermined time to enter a hardware scan mode.
Also, there is a drawback in that, when the portable terminal performs a Bluetooth scan operation automatically, it takes a long time to search the neighboring Bluetooth devices and the Bluetooth devices are redundantly searched, causing a connection with undesired equipment.
Thus, there is a demand for an apparatus and method for simplifying a process of establishing a communication connection with a Bluetooth device in a portable terminal.